16 bit recording levels

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msr
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2010/11/11 12:31:45 (permalink)

16 bit recording levels

First off, let me say that I know it is much better for a number of reasons to record at 24 bit instead of 16 bit.  I always record at 24 bit in my studio.  However, I am faced with a situation where the digital recorder I will be using to record an event only has 16 bit capability.  So I am wondering what suggestions anyone may have for how best to set levels for 16 bit recording.  I know at 24 bit, you can record at something like -12 db max levels and not have too much to worry about as far as background noise.  Are there any rules of thumb for 16 bit recording?
 
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    AT
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    Re:16 bit recording levels 2010/11/11 12:54:48 (permalink)
    The same.  You just have to be more careful about peaks, so if you have to back it off a few more dBs for dynamic music do - you'll still should be way above noise.

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    Guitarhacker
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    Re:16 bit recording levels 2010/11/11 13:19:09 (permalink)
    I concur....

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    msr
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    Re:16 bit recording levels 2010/11/11 13:40:14 (permalink)
    Thanks for the feedback.  That's kind of what i thought, but it's always good to have a sanity check. 


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    bitflipper
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    Re:16 bit recording levels 2010/11/11 16:33:32 (permalink)
    There should be no problem at all recording in 16 bits. The big benefit of 24 bits comes later, when you start mangling the data with DSP. But by then you've already transferred the data into SONAR and padded it out to 32 bits.

    If there is any special consideration for recording at 16 bits, it would simply be to avoid recording at ridiculously low levels (like -60db). Very low levels that could be easily salvaged at 24 bits might be overly noisy at 16 bits. Not that anybody does this (on purpose), just trying to think of anything that would be different for 16-bit recording.


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    feedback50
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    Re:16 bit recording levels 2010/11/13 12:28:54 (permalink)
    To elaborate on Bitflipper's comment, keep in mind that each bit of resolution represents 6 db of headroom. If (as in Bitflipper's example) you were to be down 60 db, you would be down 10 bits, leaving only 6 bits of resolution. Though background noise is a concern, at very low levels resolution becomes a factor as well. The trick in 16 bit recording seems to be to keep a balance between the risk of clipping a transient, keeping noise to a minimum, and keeping levels at sufficeint resolution.

    Another thought... it seems somewhat futile to worry about all this if the target product is going to be a hypercompressed pop song (mixed for loudness), where you'll probably only be using about 5 or 6 bits of dynamic range in the final product.
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